The Juco Wire...

As a former juco, I feel obligated to honor the best two years of my schooling in the title, even if it qualifies me as a thug or a hood in some circles. Long live Long Beach City College. Indeed, there are times I wish more than one of my daughters would have gone the juco route instead of jesuit (they must have confused the "j" words), at least for two years, it sure would have saved daddy a few bucks...

No crying on this end after the ALCS, the better team definitely won. Though the bogus call in Game Two still grates, no use crying about it because the Sox still had to move Osuna into scoring position before the game-winning double. As for the catcher interference in Game Four, okay, but there is no evidence the Halos were ready to do big damage to Garcia or any other Sox pitcher. They had plenty of chances against that entire staff and were simply humbled, only 34 baserunners total in the 5 games. That's less than 7 baserunners per game! Angels weren't beaten those last three games, they were emasculated...

Now it's Bill Stoneman's move to go out and get a real DH, maybe a first basemen, and think hard about what he wants to do at 3B. The staff is still solid, even if Washburn leaves, the pen is outstanding, defense fine. But they need to get more guys on base to turn the runners loose on the paths, where the Halos really excelled this year. Eventually their impatience undid them, especially Vlad, who looked at an average of about 2 pitches in his ALCS at bats. He was completely taken out of the series by the Sox pitchers. Halos went through several such offensive funks during the season and lived through them because they were generally good in the clutch, and of course had that pitching to fall back on when the bats were cold. In the end, however, with hardly anyone getting on base, how were they to win?...

I am very cool with the Sox, especially with the new Chicago connection in the family. They were head-and-shoulders the best team this season, and only cooled in August and September because they lost their edge with such a big lead. When they geared up, they took care of the Tribe the last weekend, routed the Sox, and dispatched the Halos. The lineup is solid, they play good defense, run the bases well (despite those mistakes in ALCS Games One & Two, they really made up for it with some smart running in games 3 thru 5), and the staff speaks for itself...

I think the Series could be a rout vs. either the Astros or Cards. Houston would be fortunate to last past five games, and so would the Cards, who at best might stretch it to 6. No surprised if Sox dispatched either in as few as 5 games, even 4. The Houston staff has no edge on the Chisox, and I take Ozzie's lineup any day. The Cards are overrated to begin with, and now they are banged up. As Big Dan predicted a few months ago, a team with some live arms like the 'stros could hook the Cards in the postseason and take them out in a short series. Which is exactly what has happened thus far. Let's hope Andy P closes it out tonight...

Football-wise, I am still shaken from SC-Notre Dame, but am amazed that the Trojan honks think their team has cleared its last hurdle. The next three weeks should be a respite of sorts (Washington--more on Ty in a minute, a fading Washington State, and Walt Harris' Stanford), but the stretch drive is going to be tough, with Cal, Fresno, and UCLA (now up to 8th in the polls!), then the Rose Bowl if they win thsoe games. Still not sure the Trojans can escape unscathed...

Too bad the Irish lost that game to MSU, I'd do anything to see a rematch with SC in a bowl game. It is far too unlikely of a scenario to happen now, but it would have been fun...

Bruins do not have enough defense to beat SC (as we thought, Wazzu's Jerome Harrison ran wild on UCLA in the Palouse), and how many teams can give up 330 yards rushing in back-to-back weeks and still win? Bruins were lucky to win at WSU, are pushing their luck these days three straight white knucklers), and would be hard-pressed to hold Troy under 50, if not 60, points. But SC is a bit vulenrable defensively, as Charlie Weis proved, and I would still give Cal a real chance (despite its last two losses) because Bears can run the ball, play frenetic defense, and Jeff Tedford has been more than a tactical match for Carroll the past few years. Cal's ongoing problem is at QB, where fellow juco Joe Ayoob, the "white Michael Vick," has been maddeningly inconsistent (such as 13 of 39 passing last week vs. the Beavers). If Tedford can straighten out this season-long project before November 12, Bears have a chance, because they get SC at Berkeley, and we have seen that Troy can be seriously challenged on the road...

The "sleeper" team in the mix could be a dangerous Fresno State, which catches SC after the emotional Cal game and before UCLA. This could be a tricky sandwich spot for SC, because Bulldogs can defintiely run with Wendell Mathis and Bryson Sumlin, have a capable senior QB in Paul Pinegar, and lots of speed on defense. FSU is the best WAC team this season, and rest assured Fresno would not have been plastered at Georgia as Bosie was. Plus the Bulldogs, who have traveled to all corners of the country and beaten some good teams (inclduing Virginia in the Boise Bowl last year), have the sort of swagger and cockiness needed to combat SC. They will not be intimidated. I really think Fresno has a lot better shot at the Trojans than does UCLA. And I will always remember the great 1992 Freedom Bowl, when Fresno punished SC in my presence 24-7, sending Larry Smith out the door once and for all. Still one of the great nights of my sports life...

As for Ty. not sure if you guys caught the Washington-Oregon box score from Saturday, but Ty's team was routed, 45-21. The Seattle Times sports page was pretty rough on U-dub, for good reason, as the team apparently looked unprepared and unemotional for a battle vs. one of its oldest and most-hated rivals (lots of Huskies hate Oregon more than they do Washington State). And this after U-dub had a week off and was supposedly much healthier on the defensive side. By comparison, look how Notre Dame performed after its bye week, and look how the Huskies played in the same situation. If there was ever an illustration of the differnece between Ty and Weis, that's it...

Rod Gilmore, Kellen Winslow, and the rest of Ty's supporters in the media ought to realize that Willingham is going to do their cause more harm than good in the long run, because he is decidedly mediocre. The p.c. crowd can tout Ty all it wants and heap scorn on Notre Dame, but anybody who doesn't think the Irish are WAY better off with Weis is nuts. By the way, of Willingham's last 8 teams at Stanford and ND, only 3 of them have finished with a winning record. Make that 3 of 9 after this season. He's the poster child for mediocrity. Already, I know that lots of Husky boosters are livid at AD ex-Vandy Todd Turner for this p.c. hire. They are so rabid up there that a change could be demanded by next season, and I wonder if Turner will let himself sink with Willingham...

Elsewhere out here, the Mountain West is quite a race, with every team save UNLV capable of beating everyone else. BYU has started to play well, and could give Notre Dame a bit of a tussle this week, especially after the Irish emptied their tanks last weekend. Cougars +20 might be a good bet. TCU has been the surprise of the league and might win it, but could have a tricky battle vs. Air Force this week. Fisher DeBerry's option might slow down the Frogs' wild defensive pressure (they have blitzed like crazy this year, but can't do as much ot hat stuff vs. the option, which demands assignment defense). Good border war in Fort Collins this week as Wyoming, off 2 losses, heads in to face CSU (I attended that game at Fort Collins in 1986, amazed at the intensity...real hate between those schools).

WAC update. Boise is not carrying the big numbers this season and has proven a rather unreliable big favorite. Broncos are still winning, but they're not destroying foes, even on the blue carpet, as they did the past few years. Fresno probably the best in the WAC, but keep an eye on the rejuvenated Nevada Wolf Pack, riding a nice 3-game win streak and off a handy win over capable La Tech at Reno last Saturday. The Pack actually sits atop the WAC right now at 3-0 in confernece, and Chris Ault's hybrid "pistol" attack is beginning to click nicely. Worst team in the WAC is Hal Mumme's New Mexico State, which is winless and could end up 0-12 this year. Bad year for Mumme and his d.c. Woody...

The man Urban Meyer needed to run his spread this season wasn't Chris Leak, it was Jay Cutler. Though the SEC defenses are fast enough to deal with all the tricks, Cutler is very similar to Alex Smith, and would have run the offense much better than Leak...

Broncos are looking good, at 5-1 they are sitting pretty in the AFC West. Didn't see the turnaround coming after the opening-day debacle in miami, but give Shan credit for sticking with Jake and rebuilding that defense. Denver is a real threat this season. Now, if we can only get the Colts into Denver for the playoffs...